Hydraht



narran sra ALFRED JOHNSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDE/ANT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,674, dated J' une 12, 1860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED JOHNSON, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Hydrant, or Fire-Plug; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in so arranging a diaphragm between the piston and valve of a hydrant when the whole is arranged as is below set fort-h, so as to prevent the pressure on the head of water from forcing the water above thek piston, and in the general construction of my hydrant to prevent waste, &c.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure l is a perspective view; Fig. 2, section.

Fitting in a pump barrel A, I have the piston B, moved by the piston rod C, which is to be connected by any suit-able means to a lever to be situated near the top of the hydrant, so as to be convenient for use. The piston B, moves in the waste chamber D, which is partly closed by the diaphragm E. This is placed so as to divide the opening F of the outlet Gr and yet allow the water to pass freely around that part which is in the opening F. In the middle of E is an aperture H, through which projects the upper stem K, of the valve L. NI, is another diaphragm, the under side of which is the seat of the valve L, L being pressed upward by the spring N, closes the opening O, in the diaphragm Nl.

P, is the lower stem of the valve L, and is of use to guide the valve to its seat. This stem is also controlled by the guide R, at its lower end.

S, is the inlet; T, coupling screw on S, and V, coupling screw on G; V, cap to pump barred A, keeping out dirt, and guiding C, perpendicularly; X, middle chamber; Z, lower chamber.

The operation is as follows. The supply pipe is soldered to coupling screw T, and the discharge pipe to the screw V, and the connections made to the valve by screwing up the couplings. By raising the hand lever at top of hydrant, the piston B, is forced down till it strikes K, and forces L down. This opens O, in M, and allows the water from S, to flow through Z, then through O, to X, and thence through lower half of opening F, into G, and thence .through the discharge pipe to nozzle of hydrant. While the valve is in this state the upper half of the opening F is closed by the piston B, and the waste chamber D, is empty. As long as B, is down upon the diaphragm E, the water flows un interruptedly. Z, and X are filled with the water in an active state. To stop the iow of water, the hand lever at the top of the hydrant is pressed down. This raises the piston B, which allows the water to iiow around that part of E which divides the opening F, until K, being no longer pressed by B, rises; and the valve L closes O, and stops the supply of water. The lower side of B is now on a line with the upper part of F, and the whole discharge pipe, as well as space between B, and E, is filled with water, which would freeze if allowed to remain there, or would saturate the earth if allowed to leak out (as in the common waste cock) and by making the surrounding earth wet increase the danger of its freezing and consequently the hydrant pipes also. To obviate all this the piston B, is still raised until a sufficient space is created under B, in the waste chamber D, to contain all the water in the discharge pipe. The water is now stopped off, the chambers Z, X, and D are filled with water, the earth around the hydrant remains dry, the discharge pipe is empty, all waste or danger of freezing is prevented, and the object of my invention is accomplished.

It will be perceived that the water usually wasted in other hydrants is now under the piston B. The first operation in drawing water,is to force down this piston, the water under it must rise in the discharge pipe, and What I claim and desire to secure by Letthe next moment be forced out at the nozzle ters Patent isby the regular Supply coming in behind 1t. The diaphragm E when arranged in the This completes the operation of my inVendescribed connection for the purposes set 5 tion. forth. q

To make this available for a ire pluoall that is required is to enlarge the parate to ALFRED JOHNSON [LS'] allow a greater body of water to ow, and Vitnesses:

raising and lowering the piston by a screw, JOSEPH J OHNSON7 i 10 or any other convenient contrivance. S. RUFUS MASON. l 

